Bullet protection guard



J 22, 1946. G. P. WIEDMAN 2,393,350

BULLET PROTECTION GUARD Filed May 21, 1945 M W, lAsyl/lll jig/.2',

a 0 ATTORNEY.S%

Patented Jan. 22, 1946 UNITED y STATES PATENT OFFICE l i f K Y 2,393,3503" l l,

BULLET PROTECTION GUARD George P. Wiedman, North Tonawanda, N. Y. Application May 21, 1943, Serial No. 487,897

2 Claims.

This invention relates to a bullet protecting screen and more particularly to such a screen which can be used in protecting the pilots of airplanes or the operators of tanks or other military equipment and at the same time provide the necessary visibility. v

kOne f the principal objects of the invention is to provide such a protective screen which will protect the operator of such military equipment from bullets of the large caliber now used in aerial and tank warfare and at the same time provide a large open space through which the operator of the equipment has a clear View of the surrounding space so that he can operate the equipment at full emciency and is aware of the conditions which he is called upon to meet.

Another object of the invention is to provide such a screen which is comparatively light in weight, considering the function which it performs, thereby enabling it to be used in airplanes.

Another object of the invention is to provide such a screen which is always in an operative condition and does not require the user to adjust anything in order to obtain a view of the surrounding space.

Another object is to provide such a screen which is composed of two protecting mediums, the rst deiiecting or reducing the velocity of a bullet to a point Where it cannot penetrate the second.

In the accompanying drawing:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary front elevation of a bul. let protecting screen embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section, taken on line 2- 29 Fig. 1

The guard or screen embodying my invention is shown as mounted in front of an opening 5 in the fuselage or body 6 of an airplane, tank or other military vehicle, although it will be understood that the invention can be used wherever it is desirable to provide protection of this character. The opening 5 is shown as having a frame 1 which can be of any suitable character to support a pane 8 of so-called bulletproof glass which can be composed of laminated panes of glass and cellulose or otherwise formed as now known in the art. Such glass has comparatively high resistance to the impact of small bullets but does not protect the person behind the opening 5 from bullets of the large caliber and high velocity now used in aerial and tank warfare. The protect the operator of the tank or airplane from such high velocity large caliber bullets, I provide a screen in front of the opening 5 which is shown as comprising a top rail III secured to the exterior of the body 6 above the opening 5, a, bottom rail II secured to the exterior of the body 6 below the opening 5 and two series of vertical bars I2 and I3 carried by these rails. These rails can be rotatably secured to the body in any suitable manner and are shown as having .a plurality of circular recesses I5 in their opposing sides which lead to smaller coaxial bores I6 extending through the rails. The bars I2 and I3 are preferably of identical form, each comprising a cylindrical body, the end of which fits into a corresponding recess I5 and end pins I8 which fit into the corresponding bores IS of the two rails. By mounting the bars so as to be rotatable, the tendency for the bars to be bent on impact is reduced.

The bars I2 and I3 can be made of a metal which has sufficient strength to resist the irnpact of large caliber high Velocity bullets.

An important feature of the invention resides in the spacial relationship of the bars I2 and I3. As best shown in Fig. 2, these bars are provided in two series, the outer series being desy ignated at I2 and the inner series being designated at I3 and the bars of the two series being in uniform staggered relation to one another. It will further be seen that the diameter of each bar is less than the width of the free space between any two of the bars of one series and that the bars of each series are spaced the same distance from one another. It will further be noted that the bars of the outer series are arranged within the plane of the outer extremities of the bars of the inner series, although it will be understood that the invention is not necessarily limited to a iiat screen but could be provided in a curving screen, the use of the word plane in the accompanying drawings being intended to include such curvature.

By arranging the two series of bars I2 and I3 in the manner shown it will be seen that the operator, whose point of vision is indicated at A, has a view of the surrounding outside between the bars, as indicated by the ten pairs of diverging dash lines B. It will further be seen that by shifting the point of View a very slight extent to the left or right, as viewed in Fig. 2, the operator can swing the lines or planes of vision B so as to cover the entire surrounding territory, thereby avoiding any blind spots. While the total amount of light coming through the Window 8 is, of course, reduced by the presence of the bars I'2 and I3, the operator, with very slight movement of his head, is afforded a complete view of the surrounding territory or space adequate.

The bars I2 and I3 are arranged sufficiently close so that large caliber bullets comingfrom any direction are prevented from passing therebetween. Such bullets are either ricochete'd olf, or if they succeed in passing through the bars, as by flattening of the bullet of spreading ofthe bars, their velocity is reduced to such an extent as to be unable -to Apenetrate vthe glass pane 8. Any bullets offsuiciently small diameter to Vpas's between the bars l2 and I3 do not have suilicient mass to penetrate the glass screen. It will there` fore be seen that the present invention provides a high degree of protection against both Jsmall and large caliber bullets withoutfa't the Sametime n 2,893,350 and by actual test this has been found to be spaced parallel cylindrical bars of a uniform direducing the effective vision of the operator to a point Where it would become 'unsafe` 'It will further be seen that the invention doesnot-require the operator to adjust anything in order nto Obtain a View of the vcountryside, it being merely necessary for him :to m'ove lhis fhead slightly `to aobtain 1a full viewof the surrounding I -claimfas myinvention -1. A transparent bul-let :protection Aguard,*comprising ascreen 'including 'two parallel ser-ies "of ameter less than the width of the spaces between the -b'af-rs 1of either series, the bars ofV one series being in staggered relation to the bars of the other series to provide a zigzag series of open --spaces between the bars of the two series, the

bars of the outer series extending through the plane oflthe outermost extremities of th'e bars of `vthe inner series andthe y'width offsaidszigzag spa-ces being :less than :the-diameter of 'said-:bars

v'andsirrallerthanthe Ywidth'of said first spaces Kand small-ler `than the bullets against ywhich Spro- `tection isafforded, and :means for holding said bars in position. Y

GEORGE IP. 

